Im Bada and Heo Chae-min to face off in one-on-one death match

Im Bada and Heo Chae-min will compete in a high-stakes death match on Monday, the 26th, after both contestants secured identical scores of 147 votes. The upcoming SBS 'Our Ballad 2' showdown follows the program's success on Netflix, where it has surpassed 58 million cumulative video views.

The SBS mega-audition project 'Our Ballad 2' (planned by Jeong Ik-seung, directed by An Jeong-hyeon, with writer Mo Eun-seol) will feature a high-stakes showdown between top contenders Im Bada and Heo Chae-min in a second-round one-on-one death match during the broadcast on Monday, the 26th.

The matchup has drawn sighs of lament from the "Top 100 Ears" panel, as both Im Bada and Heo Chae-min secured identical high scores of 147 votes in the first round. The intensity of this duel, which many are comparing to the final between Car, the Garden and BIBI in 'The Fan', has focused significant attention on the upcoming battle where one must be eliminated.

Im Bada, performing first, will attempt to captivate the panel with a reinterpretation of national singer Lee Moon-sae's "Forever with You," utilizing an exotic vibe and a warm vocal tone. Her performance prompted Roy Kim to praise her, stating, "I felt jealous," due to her soothing voice.

In response, Heo Chae-min will present a deeply emotional performance of Lee So-ra's "I'm Happy." Despite the difficulty of the song, which includes an a cappella section, Heo Chae-min's bold reinterpretation earned high praise from the panel. Moon Geun-young, moved to tears from the very first verse, remarked, "It has a similar resonance to Lee So-ra."

As the voting begins to determine the winner between the two, the "Top 100 Ears" panel is reportedly facing extreme pressure. Driven by the desire to keep both performers and the difficulty of choosing, the panel members will eventually declare they are giving up on voting. It remains to be seen who will emerge as the winner of this "death match" group.

'Our Ballad 2' continues to fuel the ballad craze, maintaining momentum in both viewership and music charts. According to Nielsen Korea, the show has ranked first in its time slot for the 2049 demographic and as the top Monday variety program for three consecutive weeks, with viewership peaking at 6.5% per minute.

Furthermore, the program has reached number one in the "Today's Top 10 Series in South Korea" on Netflix, with cumulative video views exceeding 58 million. The popularity is also reflected in music charts, as songs performed by the contestants have entered the Melon HOT 100 chart following their broadcasts (as of October 23, 2026).

The results of the intense competition between Im Bada and Heo Chae-min will be revealed on the SBS mega-audition project 'Our Ballad 2' on Monday, the 26th, at 10 PM.

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